Chapter 129: The Toyed-With Goddaughter (4)
Holding the carnations, Su Mingxiu returned to her red Ferrari. Her phone automatically connected to the car’s Bluetooth, and a call came in. As she fastened her seatbelt, she answered.
Yu Nian was still standing by the car. She heard a greasy, middle-aged man’s voice coming from the car’s speakers: “Xiao Su, I’m waiting for you on the third floor of Club 404, same old, same old.”
Su Mingxiu frowned.
She paused, her hand still on the seatbelt. If she hadn’t sorted through the original owner’s memories while trying to extract the system, she wouldn’t have known that not only was her marriage to Yu Wanru a sham, but she was also quite cunning, never letting these “fish in her pond” take advantage of her. Hearing this voice, she would have assumed they were close.
Just as she was about to hang up, Yu Nian reached into the car and pressed the button, her voice icy. “My mom’s not available, don’t wait.”
“Hmm?” Su Mingxiu raised an eyebrow, her hand still on the seatbelt, and looked at Yu Nian, who had walked around the car and opened the passenger door, settling into the seat beside her.
Su Mingxiu, who had been about to place the flowers on the passenger seat, chuckled. “What’s this?”
“Teacher Zhou said I’ve been spending too much time at school and that I should go home and relax. But I don’t want to go back to Pearl Manor. I wonder if Little Mom would mind if I stayed here for a night?”
Yu Nian turned to her, her voice calm and polite. If Su Mingxiu hadn’t seen her hang up the phone earlier, she would have thought Yu Nian’s bad temper was just her imagination.
Su Mingxiu placed the flowers in the back seat, watching as Yu Nian took out her phone and turned it on, seemingly sending a message to someone. The phone’s light illuminated her profile, highlighting her youthful features.
“You can stay—”
“But why did you hang up on my call?”
Yu Nian put away her phone, having just texted Dong Lin to bring her backpack, and looked at Su Mingxiu.
Her hair was tied in a simple ponytail, which accentuated her delicate features, her fair skin, and the widow’s peak on her forehead. Her light-colored eyes, framed by her sharp features, gave her an almost exotic beauty.
Yu Nian, remembering how Yu Wanru always took her to the cemetery on New Year’s Eve, the extravagant Damask roses, then looking at the small, slightly wilted bouquet of carnations in Su Mingxiu’s hands, recalling Su Mingxiu’s sudden request for a DNA test, now seeing this woman, nearing middle age, desperately clinging to her youth with material possessions, her marriage over, practically penniless after the divorce, never truly loved, felt a strange pang of pity.
“Aren’t you looking for these people so you can have a better life?”
“I promised to take care of you earlier, so you don’t have to lower yourself and go from one person to another. You should have realized from your marriage with my mom, these rich people only care about their own wealth. Don’t expect them to give you happiness or endless riches. They’ll only deceive you, even more cruelly than my mom.”
Su Mingxiu didn’t know that in Yu Nian’s eyes, she was a pitiful figure, desperate for both love and money. She only observed Yu Nian’s expression, sensing a strange sincerity in her words.
After a moment of silence, she simply smiled playfully at the girl beside her. “Oh? You truly want me to support your decision to study in the country, but how do I know if your promise to take care of me is genuine?”
“Unlike you socialites, full of lies,” Yu Nian’s gaze was clear and steady, “I’m still in my passionate and impulsive youth. I don’t know if I’ll become selfish like you many years from now, but I’m certain that right now, I intend to keep my promise.”
Passionate?
Impulsive?
Su Mingxiu looked at her, her cold and indifferent demeanor a mirror image of Yu Wanru’s, and raised an eyebrow skeptically.
But remembering the call from Teacher Zhou about the fight at the police station, she felt strangely convinced.
She chuckled, finding Yu Nian rather amusing. She reminded her to fasten her seatbelt, preparing to drive.
But Yu Nian told her to wait for five minutes. She had forgotten her backpack, and Dong Lin was bringing it over.
As they waited, Su Mingxiu observed her with interest, then started a conversation: “You’re suddenly so close to me, aren’t you afraid that Yu Wanru will find out and cause trouble?”
“Are you afraid?”
Yu Nian looked at her calmly. “If you are, just pretend I never said anything, I can get out of the car now.”
She placed her hand on the door handle.
As Su Mingxiu pondered, Yu Nian’s grip on the handle tightened… Actually, she wasn’t as calm as she appeared.
She was worried that Su Mingxiu would back down. Logically, she knew that Yu Wanru’s decisions were for her own good, but emotionally, she couldn’t stand being treated like a puppet.
The promise to take care of Su Mingxiu was her bargaining chip. She had no power, not even the ability to defy Yu Wanru’s arrangements.
“I’m not afraid,” Su Mingxiu finally said, after Yu Nian’s thoughts had taken countless turns. “Especially… the thought of annoying her is rather exciting.”
The classic “seeing your ex unhappy makes me happy” sentiment, combined with the natural friction between in-laws.
Hearing her answer, Yu Nian let out a sigh of relief.
The Xiangjiang Huafu was a prestigious residential complex, its design award-winning, its resale prices record-breaking. From the luxurious lobby to the elevator, the elegant style was consistent, until they reached the apartment door adorned with Spring Festival couplets—
More eye-catching than the elegant calligraphy was the content.
The first line: “May you have a prosperous New Year.” The second line: “May good fortune and wealth come your way.” The horizontal inscription: “A fountain of wealth.” And in the center, a square piece of gold foil with the character for “money.”
Even the wealthy residents here, successful in their respective fields, would still wish for good health and fortune in the new year.
But such a blatant display of materialism was probably unique in this entire complex.
Yu Nian suddenly worried that she was about to enter a gaudy, gold-plated palace. Thankfully, the interior was tastefully decorated, calming her nerves. She asked, “Did this apartment come fully furnished?”
“I think so,” Su Mingxiu couldn’t recall the details and replied casually, leading her inside. “Choose a room, there are two besides the master bedroom. Do you want the study as well?”
“No, a desk in the bedroom is fine.”
“It’s past 10 PM, are you hungry? Want a late-night snack?”
“Whatever.”
Su Mingxiu, taking a yogurt from the fridge, was stumped by this “whatever.” But unable to find any information about the original owner’s eating habits at the Yu residence, she decided that since it was her “daughter’s” first time visiting, ordering takeout seemed inappropriate. She put down the yogurt and asked: “Porridge? Noodles? Pastries? That’s all I have in the fridge.”
Yu Nian had assumed she would order takeout. Hearing her words, and not seeing any servants, she finally considered the most unlikely possibility: “You’re cooking?”
“What, afraid I’ll poison you?” Su Mingxiu raised an eyebrow.
Actually, yes.
Yu Nian’s expression changed, she wanted to say it, but the atmosphere between them was unusually pleasant, and she was in Su Mingxiu’s home. So she simply said, “Whatever,” then asked where the bathroom was.
Dong Lin, who had brought her backpack, had also packed a change of clothes for her. After a quick shower, Yu Nian smelled the aroma coming from the open kitchen.
The fragrance of white sesame seeds being toasted in oil.
She walked over in her pajamas and saw plump, white buns steaming in a pot, looking incredibly cute. Just then, Su Mingxiu lifted the lid, sprinkled chopped green onions over them, the fragrance intensifying, a feast for both the eyes and the nose. Yu Nian, who hadn’t been hungry before, suddenly felt her stomach rumble.
Su Mingxiu placed the pan-fried buns on a plate and set it before Yu Nian. “Careful, they’re hot.”
Pan-fried buns were easy to make visually appealing. With the right amount of oil and water, and a sprinkle of sesame seeds and green onions, their golden-brown, glistening skin was incredibly tempting.
No one could resist their allure.
Yu Nian was no exception.
But even though she was hungry, she still looked at Su Mingxiu’s long, manicured nails with suspicion. She remembered how, at the Yu residence, Su Mingxiu had always been picky with her food, ordering different cuisines every day. Seeing her now, having personally prepared a late-night snack, she couldn’t believe it.
She picked up a bun with her chopsticks, carefully bit into the thin skin, blew on the filling, and took a bite—
Normal.
Not just normal, but delicious.
She looked at Su Mingxiu, stunned. “These buns… you have to knead the dough and prepare the filling, how did you…”
“The dough and filling were leftover from making dumplings at noon,” Su Mingxiu replied casually, then reheated the chicken soup she had used for the dumplings, made with leftover chicken bones and pork bones, quite flavorful.
Too bad it couldn’t be used as a base for a long-simmered broth after being used for dumplings.
Hearing her casual mention of “leftovers,” Yu Nian couldn’t even ask “Why don’t you hire a maid?” It was clear that it wasn’t because Su Mingxiu didn’t want to, but because she couldn’t afford it.
It was only now that she truly understood how dire Su Mingxiu’s financial situation was after leaving Yu Wanru.
She finished the buns and the chicken soup Su Mingxiu offered, not even flinching when she burned her tongue. Then, she took her backpack and returned to her room without a word.
Su Mingxiu, the chef, not receiving any feedback, stared at the empty plate and bowl, wondering if Yu Nian liked them or not.
She decided not to dwell on it, finished her own portion, washed the dishes, and went to take a bath, falling asleep in the warm water.
“Knock, knock, knock!”
The knocking on her bedroom door woke her up. Still drowsy, Su Mingxiu reached for the edge of the bathtub to get up, then slipped, remembering that only Yu Nian was home. She called out, “What’s wrong?”
Yu Nian, who had been studying until late at night, was about to get some water from the kitchen when she saw the light under Su Mingxiu’s door. Thinking that she slept with the lights on, but then hearing the sound of running water, she knocked, worried.
By the time Su Mingxiu answered, Yu Nian had already opened the door. Seeing the frosted glass of the bathroom, she paused. “Are… you okay?”
The sound of water splashing came from inside as Su Mingxiu got out of the bathtub, the sound echoing through the frosted glass.
“I’m fine, I just fell asleep accidentally.”
She reached for a towel, dried herself, then, reaching for her bathrobe, realized she had thrown it in the washing machine earlier.
Su Mingxiu opened the glass door and asked the person outside lazily: “Can you get me some pajamas from the closet?”
Yu Nian was still thinking about the danger of falling asleep in the bathtub alone, but Su Mingxiu’s request distracted her. She silently turned and walked towards the closet.
But after searching for a while, she couldn’t find anything that looked like pajamas.
Su Mingxiu, waiting in the bathroom, almost fell asleep again, losing her patience. She walked out, leaving wet footprints on the carpet, her pale arm reaching past Yu Nian to open a drawer and pull out a peach-colored lace nightgown.
“Here,” she said, a lazy smile in her voice.
Yu Nian, still half-kneeling, let out an “Oh,” thinking she had completed her task, and turned to leave. But she bumped into Su Mingxiu, who wasn’t wearing anything else. Startled, she quickly turned back. “You… why are you just walking around like this?”
“You were taking too long, I would have frozen to death.”
Su Mingxiu looked down, not finding anything wrong with her appearance. As she replied, she casually put on the nightgown, then grabbed a fluffy bathrobe and wrapped it around herself.
“Who told you not to bring clothes into the bathroom?” Yu Nian said, her eyes tightly shut, her voice cold and sharp.
Her tone chased away Su Mingxiu’s remaining sleepiness. She looked at her in confusion as she tied the bathrobe’s belt. “Is it against the law to not bring clothes into the bathroom? Why are you so angry?”
“I!”
Yu Nian heard the rustling of fabric stop, knowing that Su Mingxiu had finished dressing. She stood up and opened her eyes, ready to reprimand her, but she froze. Su Mingxiu hadn’t properly tied her bathrobe, the collar loose, revealing a deep V-neck, like a sexy runway model.
She even saw water droplets trailing down Su Mingxiu’s collarbone, leaving a wet path down her abdomen.
“I…”
Yu Nian forgot what she was going to say.
“You?”
Su Mingxiu stopped tying her belt and looked at her intently, waiting.
“Put on your clothes properly!” Yu Nian’s voice was even louder, but there was an undeniable hint of nervousness in her tone.
Su Mingxiu chuckled, guessing that the little one was embarrassed. She adjusted her bathrobe, then said with a smile: “Yu Nian, you don’t have to start taking care of me yet, I’m not that old.”
Yu Nian, trying to erase the image from her mind, her expression calming down, hearing Su Mingxiu’s nonchalant tone, said with a deadpan expression: “Not covering your stomach can easily cause abdominal pain and inflammation. Plus, you have irregular sleep patterns, and that bad habit of drinking at bars—”
“Little Mom, if you don’t take care of your health, no insurance company will cover you when you’re older.”
Su Mingxiu: “…”
Such a kind child, why does she have to have such a sharp tongue?
Her blood pressure rising slightly, she also put on a deadpan expression. “Thank you for your concern. Anything else? If not, please leave, I need my beauty sleep.”
After the annoying teenager left, Su Mingxiu turned off the lights and lay in bed, thinking, Is this what it feels like to raise a child?
As if I would ever fall in love with this annoying brat!
No way!
I’d rather die alone, be screwed over by the system, than even consider a relationship with this child!
In the guest room…
Yu Nian had forgotten to bring her water bottle. She stared blankly at the completed test papers on her desk, flipping through the answer key, then realizing she had already checked them.
She grabbed a new set of papers, but she stared at the first question, a simple set theory problem, her mind filled with the image from Su Mingxiu’s room.
Water droplets.
Fair skin.
Sliding down.
“Screech—”
Her pen left a long mark on the paper.
Yu Nian shook her head, feeling her mind muddled from studying too much. She put away the papers, turned off the lights, and went to bed.
But she dreamt of a woman’s back, the figure repeatedly emerging from a bath, her face obscured.
But for some reason, she was certain it was Su Mingxiu. She felt anxious, thinking, I like her, but she’s my mom’s wife…
She woke up covered in sweat.
She realized that the heater was on too high. But after calming down and replaying the dream, she realized that the person in her dream didn’t seem to be Su Mingxiu.
—But that wasn’t the point.
Yu Nian didn’t dare to think further. She got up, washed up, and opened the curtains, seeing that it was still dark outside. She checked the time: 5:30 AM.
Not finding anything to eat in the fridge, and knowing that most breakfast places wouldn’t be open yet, she went for a morning jog.
Returning at around 7 AM with breakfast, she realized she didn’t have a key and called Su Mingxiu.
As the door opened, she handed Su Mingxiu the fragrant breakfast. “Good morning.”
Su Mingxiu, her body clock still synced with the original owner’s, wasn’t fully awake yet, her appetite nonexistent. She leaned against the doorframe, taking the breakfast. “Why are you up so early?”
“It’s not early,” Yu Nian, the student, replied.
Su Mingxiu, playing the role of the pampered “Little Mom,” couldn’t argue. Although she was awake, her body was still sluggish. She took the breakfast to the dining table but didn’t eat.
Yu Nian, getting milk from the fridge, asked: “Any chores I can help with?”
Su Mingxiu had initially wanted to make her suffer a bit, to get revenge for her sharp tongue last night.
But thinking about how hard the child studied, she couldn’t bring herself to do it. She pointed at the carnations by the entrance. “Put those flowers in a vase.”
Yu Nian threw the empty milk carton into the trash and did as she was told.
Su Mingxiu, watching her arrange the flowers, finally woke up completely. She went to wash up, then came back and ate her breakfast. She put Yu Nian’s clothes in the washing machine, turned on the robot vacuum, discussed the lunch menu with Yu Nian, then asked: “Do you need a ride back to school in the afternoon?”
“I can take the subway.”
Alright.
Su Mingxiu, having accepted her role as Yu Nian’s guardian, felt much more relaxed, no longer burdened by the thought of pursuing a relationship with her.
Yu Nian suddenly asked: “What… are your plans for the future?”
“Huh?”
“Work, I mean. You’re practically broke now, you’ll need to find a job, right? Otherwise, how will you support me?” Yu Nian asked matter-of-factly.
Such a filial child.
Su Mingxiu was touched by her sudden concern, her eye twitching slightly. She forced a smile, the signature fake smile of a stepmother. “Don’t worry, I won’t let you starve before you graduate from university—”
“You should worry about yourself. If you don’t get into a top two university, and you don’t want to study abroad, you’ll have to find a good part-time job. I won’t support you.”
After this heartwarming exchange of “motherly love” and “filial piety,” they both fell silent, their daily quota of familial affection fulfilled.
In the afternoon, Su Mingxiu still drove Yu Nian back to school, claiming it was on her way. Yu Nian didn’t refuse, only reminding her as she got out of the car:
“Set an alarm next time you take a bath, don’t fall asleep again like yesterday, it’s dangerous.”
Su Mingxiu, lowering her sunglasses, replied: “Who’s the mom here, you or me?”
Yu Nian: “You.”
Su Mingxiu tossed a bag of fruit and yogurt into her arms. “Good. Stop nagging me, little one.”
Then, she drove away.
Watching the red Ferrari disappear, Yu Nian hugged the bag, sighed, and thought, So irresponsible, what kind of mother is she?
“Niannian!”
Dong Lin ran over, looking at the direction Yu Nian had come from curiously. “Your Little Mom drove you back? Hey, didn’t she move out? What’s going on?”
Yu Nian didn’t answer, turning to leave, only to be stopped by her friend. “Wow, what’s in your bag? Seriously, you even took these common snacks from her?”
“Hands off.”
Dong Lin, who had just grabbed an apple, reluctantly put it back, muttering: “Stingy.”
Looking closer, she noticed that these apples weren’t as nice as the ones Yu Wanru’s assistant usually brought to school. She was even more confused.
She thought about what she had just seen and asked cautiously: “Are you… on better terms with your Little Mom now?”
“Yes,” Yu Nian replied, thinking about the meals Su Mingxiu had cooked for her. “Better than before.”